At first, a conventional paper holding device for a printer will be described with reference to FIG. 3. Reference numeral 1 denotes a housing having a side plate 2, and a printing station 3 is provided on the housing 3. The printing station 3 includes a platen 4 supported for rotation on the side plate 2, and a thermal head 5 adapted to be contacted under pressure with the platen 4. A supply shaft 8 on which elongated paper 6 in the form of a roll is wound and a take-up shaft 9 are supported for rotation on the side plate 2. The elongated paper here is mounting paper to which a large number of labels 7 are applied. A motor 10 is secured to the housing 1, and a first belt 12 extends between and around a first pulley 11 directly coupled to the motor 10 and another pulley (not shown) secured to an end of the platen 4 while a second belt 13 extends between and around the first pulley 11 and a second pulley 9a secured to an end of the take-up shaft 9. Further, a label exfoliating member 14 is secured at an end thereof to the side plate 2 and is adapted to bend the paper 6 (i.e. mounting paper) by an acute angle near the platen 4.
Thus, after a label 7 is printed by the thermal head 3, the platen 4 and the take-up shaft 9 are driven by the motor 10 to feed the paper 6 by a predetermined distance. Thereupon, the label 7 is exfoliated from the paper 6 (mounting paper) by the label exfoliating member 14 while the paper 6 is taken up onto the take-up shaft 9 by an extent over which it is fed.
Since such printer of the type described above is required to be reduced in size similarly to other electronic appliances, there is a limitation in terms of the overall size of the housing 1. On the other hand, while the paper 6 differs in terms of length and also in terms of diameter of the roll thereof where the types thereof differs, since the housing 1 is small in size, there is a limitation in capacity the capability to accommodate the paper 6 therein.